Varun Sivaram

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Varun Sivaram Varun Sivaram is the Philip D. Reed fellow for science and technology at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, a nonresident fellow at the Columbia University Center for Global Energy Policy, and a member of the advisory boards for the Stanford University Woods Institute for the Environment and Precourt Institute for Energy. Forbes named him one of the 30 under 30 in Law and Policy, Grist selected him as one of the top 50 leaders in sustainability, and Klout ranked him as one of the top 5 global thought leaders on solar energy. He is the author of the book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet (MIT University Press, March 2018). Dr. Sivaram also serves as strategic advisor to the office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Reforming the Energy Vision, and he was formerly a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he counseled Fortune 500 companies on adapting to the modern competitive landscape in energy. Prior to this role, he served as senior advisor for energy and water policy to the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, and oversaw the city’s Department of Water and Power. Dr. Sivaram’s work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, the Journal of Applied Physics, the Journal of Physical Chemistry, Nature, Nature Energy, Nature Climate Change, Scientific American, and Issues in Science and Technology. He has also given talks around the world, including at the Aspen Ideas Festival and World Economic Forum. A Truman and a Rhodes scholar, he holds degrees from Stanford University in engineering physics and international relations, with honors in international security. Dr. Sivaram holds a PhD in condensed matter physics from St. John’s College, Oxford University, where he developed third-generation solar photovoltaic coatings for building-integrated applications. He lives in Washington, DC. .

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Sunny Side up Varun Sivaram
Sunny Side Up Characterizing the US Military’s Approach to Solar Energy Policy Varun Sivaram CISAC Honors Thesis Advised by Professor Michael May and Professor Martha Crenshaw May 15, 2011 Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................... 2 The Puzzle ............................................................................................................................. 2 Background ........................................................................................................................... 4 Solar Power ....................................................................................................................... 4 Federal Policy ................................................................................................................... 6 DoD Renewables Initiatives .............................................................................................. 8 Looking Forward ................................................................................................................. 10 Chapter 2: Theoretical Frameworks for Real Policymaking ........................................... 12 Punctuated Equilibrium ....................................................................................................... 14 Bounded Rationality and Incrementalism ..........................................................................
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656-0083 • [email protected]
VARUN SIVARAM, PH.D. www.varunsivaram.com SUMMARY: One of the world’s foremost experts in clean energy technology, with experience across corporate, public, & academic sectors: CTO of a multibillion-dollar firm, senior policy advisor to a city and a state, physicist, professor, author. EMPLOYMENT ReNew Power Limited, New Delhi, India……………………………………………………………. 2018 – Present Chief Technology Officer Council on Foreign Relations, Washington, D.C. ………………………………………………………. 2015 – 2018 Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology Director, Program on Energy Security and Climate Change Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Washington, D.C. ………………………………… 2016 – 2018 Adjunct Professor Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York, NY…………………………………………………… 2015 – 2017 Strategic Advisor on Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) McKinsey & Company, San Francisco, CA……………………………………………………………… 2013 – 2015 Senior Associate Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles, CA………………………………………………... 2012 – 2013 Senior Advisor on Energy and Water Policy APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, Columbia University Center for Global Energy Policy….…..… 2017 – Present Board Member, Stanford University Precourt Institute for Energy………………………….…… 2015 – Present Board Member, Stanford University Woods Institute for the Environment……………………… 2015 – Present Editorial Board Member, Journal of Global Transitions (Elsevier)…………………………………… 2018 – Present Expert Legal Witness, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP…………………………………………… 2018 – Present Council Member,
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Venture Capital and Cleantech: the Wrong Model for Clean Energy
Venture Capital and Cleantech: The Wrong Model for Clean Energy Innovation An MIT Energy Initiative Working Paper July 2016 Dr. Benjamin Gaddy1 Dr. Varun Sivaram2 Dr. Francis O’Sullivan3 1 Director of Technology Development, Clean Energy Trust; [email protected] 2 Douglas Dillon Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; [email protected] 3 Director of Research and Analysis, MIT Energy Initiative; Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management; [email protected] MIT Energy Initiative, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA MITEI-WP-2016-06 Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2 Silicon Valley Meets Cleantech ................................................................................................... 3 A Losing Combination: High Risk and Low Returns ............................................................ 5 Box: How We Classified and Evaluated Start-up Companies .............................................. 6 What Went Wrong?....................................................................................................................... 8 Beyond the VC Model for Cleantech ....................................................................................... 11 Appendix: Full Methodology ..................................................................................................... 13 References ....................................................................................................................................
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THE DARK SIDE of SOLAR How the Rising Solar Industry Empowers Political Interests That Could Impede a Clean Energy Transition
THE DARK SIDE OF SOLAR How the rising solar industry empowers political interests that could impede a clean energy transition Varun Sivaram PAPER 2 APRIL 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the generous support of The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for my work, and the research assistance provided by Madison Freeman and David Yellen of The Coun- cil on Foreign Relations. Additionally, I am grateful for the reviews and feedback of an anon- ymous peer reviewer, the participants of a February 2018 author’s workshop at the Brookings Institution, and to Bruce Jones, David Victor, Todd Stern, Samantha Gross, and Jenn Perron for their support and feedback. Sections of this essay are adapted from the author’s book, Taming the sun: Innovations to harness solar energy and power the planet (MIT University Press, 2018). INDEPENDENCE Brookings recognizes that the value it provides to any supporter is in its absolute commitment to quality, independence, and impact. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commit- ment, and the analysis and recommendations of the Institution’s scholars are not determined by any donation. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Varun Sivaram is the Philip D. Reed fellow for science and technology at The Council on For- eign Relations. He is also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, a nonresident fellow at the Columbia University Center for Global Energy Policy, and a member of the advisory boards for the Stanford University Woods Institute for the Environment and Precourt Institute for Energy. Forbes named him one of the 30 under 30 in Law and Policy, Grist selected him as one of the top 50 leaders in sustainability, and Klout ranked him as one of the top 5 global thought leaders on solar energy.
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Assessing Blockchain's Future in Transactive Energy
Atlantic Council GLOBAL ENERGY CENTER Assessing Blockchain’s Future in Transactive Energy Ben Hertz-Shargel and David Livingston Assessing Blockchain’s Future in Transactive Energy II ATLANTIC COUNCIL Assessing Blockchain’s Future in Transactive Energy Assessing Blockchain’s Future in Transactive Energy Ben Hertz-Shargel and David Livingston ISBN-13: 978-1-61977-599-2 Cover: Transmitter tower outside Araçatuba, Brazil. Source: Rodolfo Marques on Unsplash Atlantic Council 1030 15th Street, NW 12th Floor Washington, DC 20005 Website: www.atlanticcouncil.org ATLANTIC COUNCIL I Assessing Blockchain’s Future in Transactive Energy II ATLANTIC COUNCIL Assessing Blockchain’s Future in Transactive Energy TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 2 1. Introduction 4 2. Toward a Transactive Grid 7 3. Applying Blockchain to Transactive Energy 11 4. The Blockchain Tradeoff 16 5. Policy Recommendations 31 6. Conclusion 34 Appendix: Cryptographic Approaches to the Transparent Privacy Problem 35 ATLANTIC COUNCIL 1 Assessing Blockchain’s Future in Transactive Energy EXECUTIVE SUMMARY he electric power system is undergoing a This report assesses the suitability of blockchain for rapid transition toward decarbonization and this purpose, as a platform for transactive energy. Tdecentralization. The legacy model of one- It performs a first principles analysis of blockchain’s way power flow from large, primarily fossil-based technical attributes in order to align them with the generators to consumers on the distribution grid is expected needs of a transactive market, regardless being upended, driven by the plummeting costs of of its precise design. Its principal conclusion is that distributed renewables, battery storage, and smart blockchain is not currently well suited for this task, or energy technologies.
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Energy Innovation Policy: Priorities for the Trump Administration and Congress
Energy Innovation Policy: Priorities for the Trump Administration and Congress VARUN SIVARAM, TERYN NORRIS, COLIN MCCORMICK, AND DAVID M. HART Energy is an enormous and vital economic sector, and clean energy in By investing in energy particular is growing rapidly in much of the world. Countries that have innovation and infrastructure, the seized this market opportunity, valued at over $300 billion globally in United States could 2015, are fueling economic growth at home and expanding exports wrest back clean- abroad.1 Asian countries have vaulted to the forefront of global trade in energy markets, clean-energy technology. In particular, China is the world leader in the creating thousands of jobs in advanced production of solar panels, batteries, and wind turbines, and it is quickly manufacturing and taking the lead in next-generation nuclear power and technologies to improving its capture carbon. The United States is losing this race because Asian trade balance. countries are out-investing the United States and dictating the terms of competition, often flooding the market with low-cost, unimaginative products.2 But the race is not yet lost. By investing in energy innovation and infrastructure, the United States can wrest back clean-energy markets, creating thousands of advanced manufacturing jobs and improving its trade balance.3 Moreover, it will take innovation to make cleaner energy truly cost competitive—sans subsidies—enabling widespread adoption that enhances U.S. energy security, improves the environment, and protects public health. The United States has a strong foundation for rapid progress. U.S. universities and national laboratories have developed many of the most promising new technological options on the horizon, and American companies such as Tesla, General Electric, and First Solar have successfully commercialized innovative products.
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Advanced Energy and U.S. National Security
ADVANCED ENERGY AND U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY CNA Military Advisory Board | June 2017 UNLIMITED DISTRIBUTION Cover images (from left to right): Darrieus vertical axis wind turbines; Biofuel research; The Pearl River Tower, in Guangdong Province, China. Recommended citation: CNA Military Advisory Board, 2017. Advanced Energy and U.S. National Security. CNA. CNA is a not-for-profit research and analysis organization dedicated to developing actionable solutions to complex problems of national importance. Approved for Unlimited Distribution Cheryl B. Rosenblum Executive Director, CNA Military Advisory Board This report was developed with the support of the Tellus Mater Foundation and the Energy Foundation. Copyright© 2017 CNA ADVANCED ENERGY AND U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY To the reader: It is undeniable that the global energy landscape is changing. Burgeoning populations in South Asia and Africa, together with rising affluence, are shifting major centers of demand away from Europe and the U.S. and increasing the world’s overall demand for energy. At the same time, new technologies are making clean, affordable advanced energy widely available as well as allowing the extraction of fossil fuels from previously inaccessible sources. We see this combination of rising energy demand and the growing number of affordable energy choices as a tectonic shift in the global energy posture, one likely to impact every nation. As new energy options emerge to meet global demand, nations that lead stand to gain; should the U.S. sit on the sidelines, it does so at considerable risk to our national security. U.S. leadership in advanced energy development and deployment can yield domestic and international opportunities across our national security spectrum.
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Energizing America a Roadmap to Launch a National Energy Innovation Mission
A plan to make the United States the world leader in “ clean energy innovation and rise to an existential challenge—creating exciting new jobs along the way. —John F. Kerry, 68th US Secretary of State ” Energizing America A Roadmap to Launch a National Energy Innovation Mission Varun Sivaram, Colin Cunliff, David Hart, Julio Friedmann, and David Sandalow Energizing America A Roadmap to Launch a National Energy Innovation Mission Copyright © 2020 by the Columbia University SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form beyond the reproduction permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law Act (17 U.S.C. Sections 107 and 108) and excerpts by reviewers for the public press, without express written permission from the Columbia University SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy. Library of Congress Control Number: 2020917122 ISBN: 978-0-578-75852-7 ABOUT THE CENTER ON GLOBAL ENERGY POLICY The Columbia University SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy provides independent, balanced, data-driven analysis to help policymakers navigate the complex world of energy. We approach energy as an economic, security, and environmental concern. And we draw on the resources of a world-class institution, faculty with real-world experience, and a location in the world’s finance and media capital. For more information, please visit www.energypolicy.columbia.edu ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS The mission of the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) is to empower people to serve the global public interest.
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The Next Generation of Federal Clean Electricity Tax Credits
THE NEXT GENERATION OF FEDERAL CLEAN ELECTRICITY TAX CREDITS BY VARUN SIVARAM AND NOAH KAUFMAN MAY 2019 The federal tax incentive for wind energy expires at the end of 2019, and the incentive for solar energy will begin phasing out in 2020. Over multiple decades, these policies have succeeded in promoting the development and deployment of wind and solar technology, which today are rapidly gaining market share in the US electricity sector. But it would be a mistake to declare “mission accomplished” and assume no successor policies are needed. After all, well over half of US electricity is still produced by fossil fuels that release climate-warming carbon dioxide and toxic local air pollutants into the atmosphere. It would also be a mistake to simply extend today’s incentives indefinitely into the future. These policies have ballooned in cost and are ill suited to spur innovation that would improve upon the existing set of technology options for reducing US carbon emissions. Federal policy makers should design a new generation of tax incentives as one element of a national plan to decarbonize the US electricity sector almost entirely by midcentury—an integral step in decarbonizing the overall economy to combat climate change. In recent months, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have proposed new tax credits for a wide range of clean electricity technologies through proposals such as Democratic Senator Ron Wyden’s Clean Energy for America Act and Republican Congressman Tom Reed’s Energy Sector Innovation Credit Act. Importantly, tax incentives are no silver bullet. Even carefully designed tax incentives will have drawbacks; for example, tax incentives are inherently less efficient than direct federal spending at transmitting incentives to the private sector.
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Scientific American
PAGE THE QUEST TO EXPLAIN THE GALAXY’S STRANGEST STAR 36 DAWN OF TECHNOLOGY The discovery of 3.3-million-year-old stone tools overturns long-standing views on human evolution PLUS HOW TO TURN A FOX INTO A DOG A bold experiment tests ideas about domestication PAGE 68 A WILD CARD IN CLIMATE CHANGE India’s choices could have a profound impact PAGE 48 WORLD’S FASTEST CAMERA MAY 2017 Chemical reactions caught on film PAGE 62 ScientificAmerican.com © 2017 Scientific American MAY 2017 VOLUME 316, NUMBER 5 68 ARCHAEOLOGY NEUROSCIENCE 28 The New Origins 54 Schizophrenia’s of Technology Unyielding Mysteries Ancient stone tools from Kenya Major gene studies have shatter the classic story of when failed to identify the disorder’s and how humans became innova causes, so scientists are tors. By Kate Wong broadening the search. ASTROPHYSICS By Michael Balter 36 Strange News CHEMISTRY from Another Star 62 Split-Second Is alien technology making Boy a Reactions jian’s star flicker? It’s surprisingly Never before seen images of hard to rule out. By Kimberly drug proteins or photosynthesis Cartier and Jason T. Wright in action show how the molecules EVOLUTION work—or fail. 42 Missing Links By Petra Fromme Defining human traits may have and John C. H. Spence emerged when we shed key pieces GENETICS of DNA. By Philip L. Reno ON THE COVER 68 How to Early human ancestor knaps stone tools, using CLIMATE Build a Dog an anvil and hammerstone to remove sharp 48 The Global Warming To test ideas of animal domestica flakes from a core.
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Three Research Questions on Innovation in Clean Energy Technologies
Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities cordially invite you to a Brown Bag Lunchtime Talk Three research questions on innovation in clean energy technologies Varun Sivaram Philip D. Reed Fellow Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations Date: Wednesday, 16 May 2018 Time: 12.00 pm to 1.00 pm Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Meeting Room 21 Venue: Think Tank 19 Building 3, Level 2 Building 2, Level 3 Singapore University of Technology and Design 8 Somapah Road, Singapore 487372 (see overleaf for map) Synopsis 1. How can countries set up institutions to support innovation in clean energy technologies, given the dearth of private sector capital to solve really hard problems, like commercializing next-generation nuclear reactors? Are institutions like ARPA-E in the US or the Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany good models? 2. What does a realistic global decarbonization pathway look like? Some argue that the best way to do it is to electrify the entire economy (electric vehicles, electrification of industry, etc.) and reduce emissions in the upstream power sector by 80 percent by mid-century. Others argue that we should focus on clean fuels to displace petroleum because electrification is infeasible in many cases. 3. How can digitalization advance clean energy systems rather than dirty ones? The danger of some digital innovations, such as autonomous vehicles, is that emissions might actually increase. However, with appropriate public policy, digitalization can be a force for decarbonisation—it just will not happen by itself. About the Speaker Varun Sivaram is the Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations.
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Digital Decarbonization
Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies June 2018 Edited by Varun Sivaram Digital Decarbonization Promoting Digital Innovations to Advance Clean Energy Systems Digital Decarbonization Promoting Digital Innovations to Advance Clean Energy Systems Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies June 2018 Edited by Varun Sivaram Digital Decarbonization Promoting Digital Innovations to Advance Clean Energy Systems The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business execu- tives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. Founded in 1921, CFR carries out its mission by maintaining a diverse membership, including special programs to promote interest and develop expertise in the next generation of foreign policy leaders; convening meetings at its headquarters in New York and in Washington, DC, and other cities where senior government officials, members of Congress, global leaders, and prominent thinkers come together with CFR members to discuss and debate major international issues; supporting a Studies Program that fos- ters independent research, enabling CFR scholars to produce articles, reports, and books and hold round- tables that analyze foreign policy issues and make concrete policy recommendations; publishing Foreign Affairs, the preeminent journal of international affairs and U.S. foreign policy; sponsoring Independent Task Forces that produce reports with both findings and policy prescriptions on the most important foreign policy topics; and providing up-to-date information and analysis about world events and American foreign policy on its website, CFR.org.
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